Trump Nominates Heritage Economist to Lead US Labor Statistics

President Donald Trump has nominated E.J. Antoni, a conservative economist from the Heritage Foundation, to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) following the firing of previous commissioner Erika McEntarfer, who was dismissed after the agency reported weaker-than-expected job growth and made significant downward revisions to prior months' employment data. Trump accused McEntarfer of manipulating job numbers to make him look bad, claims widely rejected by independent economists and criticized as politicizing economic data. Antoni, who must be confirmed by the Senate, has previously criticized the BLS for its methodology and called for improvements in data collection and dissemination to restore trust in the agency. His nomination has raised concerns about the potential politicization of the BLS, an institution traditionally led by apolitical technocrats, given Antoni's partisan background and alignment with Trump’s economic policies. Supporters, including Trump and allies like Steve Bannon, praise Antoni’s approach to ensuring the accuracy and honesty of economic statistics, while economists question his qualifications and warn about the implications for the credibility of government data. The controversy highlights tensions over economic reporting and the integrity of statistical agencies amid a politically charged environment.